Randall M. Lending

Randall Lending defends corporations, financial institutions, officers and directors of corporations and investment companies, broker-dealers, investment advisors and other clients in high-stakes litigation and regulatory matters.

With over 37 years in practice, he quickly assesses risk, determines case strategy, and builds aggressive, fact-driven defenses rooted in the law and business realities.

Clients regularly turn to Randy when facing significant liability exposure. With decades of experience spanning jury trials, injunction proceedings, complex commercial claims and strategic settlements, Randy has successfully resolved nearly every challenge a business might face. He has achieved favorable court rulings in bet-the-company cases, including litigation matters brought by the SEC, FINRA, FDIC, and CFTC as well as litigation brought by aggrieved investor claimants and other plaintiffs. He regularly defends securities and shareholder derivative actions, trade secret misappropriation matters, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and fraud claims.

Clients also often seek his counsel on litigation avoidance and compliance strategies. They appreciate his roll-up-his-sleeves, down-in-the-trenches approach, proactive counsel, mastery of the facts and ability to deliver compelling arguments in their defense.

Experience

• Successfully defended an investment adviser client in numerous claims brought by investors against the investment advisor who had invested hundreds of millions of dollars of client funds in Madoff-related feeder funds. 
• Obtained favorable outcomes in defending multiple officers and directors of failed banks in breach of fiduciary claims brought by the FDIC in federal court.     
• Obtained TRO and Permanent Injunction against a departing employee who had misappropriated trade secrets of a company. 
• Secured a favorable resolution for independent directors of a mutual fund in a lawsuit brought by an activist shareholder seeking to invalidate control share provisions under the company’s bylaws and asserting breach of fiduciary duty claims. 
• Successfully defended independent directors of a mutual fund in a federal court case claiming that the fees approved by directors were excessive. 
• Successfully defended claims brought by numerous investors against an investment fund that invested $52 million in client funds in a Ponzi scheme. 
• Appointed lead counsel for Receiver for Russell R. Wasendorf, Sr., by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Peregrine Financial Group, Inc. and Russell R. Wasendorf, Sr., Case No. 12-cv-05383, where Wasendorf admitted to stealing more than $215 million of client funds from investors.